2024-04-03 PL-CCI-2024-000003 Bill 121 Cynthia Rubinstein Testimony

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From: Cynthia Rubinstein To: WPCtestimony Subject: Hawaii County Bill 121 Date: Wednesday,April 3,2024 6:35:18 PM Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding Bill 121 and Its Impact on Local Communities Chairman Dennis Lin Windward Planning Commission County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni St. Unit 1502 Hilo, HI 96720 Aloha Chairman Lin, I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding Bill 121 and its potential impacts on our local communities, particularly in terms of enforceability, inequity, and the transformation of neighborhoods. As a resident of Volcano, Hawaii, I have witnessed firsthand the positive contributions that short-term rentals bring to our local economy and community cohesion. However, I fear that Bill 121, in its current form, may inadvertently harm those it seeks to protect. Firstly, the enforceability of Bill 121 raises significant concerns. Without sufficient human resources, the Planning Department may struggle to effectively monitor and enforce the proposed regulations, leading to selective enforcement and potential inequities. This could unfairly penalize well-intentioned property owners while failing to address the root issues at hand. Removing legal NUC"s and 30 day minimum stays is counter productive to promoting the home stays that many visitor prefer to hotel stays. Those who do prefer these venues will choose another tropical climate that is less expensive as they are not likely to segway to hotel stays. The Entire Problem with short term stays, Statewide, is without a doubt the lack of enforcement by the Departments of Planning and Permitting. The truth of the matter is that they do not have the manpower To Enforce. You do Not Need another bill to become law. All that is needed is to hire more people to enforce the laws already on the books. Make people comply with the current zoning rather than create more chaos.